Wrist watch protector



July 13, 1965 F. D. CHURCH 3,194,004

WRIST WATCH PROTECTOR Filed Jan. 25, 1963 Fig./

Fig. 4

Frank 0. Church INVENTOR.

38 36 BY QM United States Patent 3,194,004 WRIST WATCH PROTECTOR Frank D. Church, Columbus, Ind., assignor of fifty percent to J ohn C. Glick, Columbus, Ind.

Filed Jan. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 253,923 4 Claims. (Cl. 58-105) The present invention relates to a wrist watch protector, more particularly, a simple, practical, read-to-apply watch case attachment which is such in construction and adaptability that it functions to prevent perspiration, which may have accumulated on the wearers wrist, from transferring itself to vulnerable parts of a watch and damaging the same.

It is suggested that the reader should take into account and evaluate the fact that others engaged in the line of endeavor under consideration have seen fit to devise and use watch-mounting and spacing adapters of one type or another. However, and the additional fact that prior art spacing-type protectors appear not to be in widespread use suggests that while it is true that feasible steps to cope with the problem of watch damage from perspiration constitute a challenge to inventors working in this field the ideal and unqualifiedly endorsed protector has apparently not come into vogue. Accordingly, and as should now be clear the significant objective in the instant matter is to advance the art and, what is more significant, to providemembers of the public with an acceptable attachment-type protector.

In carrying out the principles of the instant invention a novel protector has been perfected. This protector is regarded as an improvement in that it involves a structure which is precision-made'and possesses the desired properties of eiiiciency and economy uncommon in respect to prior art and competitive watch-damage preventing devices and may be relied upon to assure the user thereof with reliable in-use performance and self-fitting adaptability. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a protector which has the additional function of a pad and which functions in a manner to aptly cope with uncomfortable and often unbearable pressure of the strap-retained watch case against the users skin.

An equally important, if not a more important object of the protector is to separate or space the watch case from direct contact with the skin of the wearer in a manner to prevent the transfer and entrance of perspiration or moisture through capillary attraction into the watch case, whereby to thus prevent permanent damage to the watch mechanism.

As will be hereinafter more readily apparent the protector herein disclosed is designed to fit only one-piece wrist watch bands such as are commonly known as nylon bands, cloth and leather bands or those made of equivalent flexible strip material.

Briefly summarized, the present invention comprehends the provision of a watch spacer in conjunction or combination with the usual flat bottom of the watch case and wherein said spacer is strapped against the bottom of the case by way of a portion of a one-piece wrist watch strap which is attached to the spacer and functions to connect the same to the usual lug-supported pintles or pins at diametrically opposite sides of the watch case.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the invention in perspective and shows how it is constructed and applied and consequently coverage here comprises a watch case 8 whose bottom under advisement is characterized by a one-piece so-called.

is planar or fiat as at 10. The customary crystal or lens is denoted at 12. The customary paired marginally projecting lugs are denoted'at 14 said lugs are provided with hearing holes 16 for the cooperating end portions 18 of the pintle or pin which is supported as at 20 between the cooperating pair of lugs. Normally where metal bands such as expansion bands and the like are used the attaching knuckles or equivalent coupling members are applied to the pins or pintles 20 in a well-known manner. However, it is to be reinterated that the disclosure herein non-rnetal band or strap which is here designated by the numeral 22. The buckle-equipped end portions of'the strap 22 are not illustrated. A portion of the strap designated at 24 in FIG. 3 is arranged in parallelism to the back of the watch case and the left and right portions 26 and 28 thereof (FIG. 3) are threaded or passed through the openings or open spaces 30 in the manner illustrated, for example, in FIG. 3. However and in connection with the instant invention the portion 24 does not contact the wearers wrist or the base surface 10 of the watch case. Instead it is threaded or passed through a passage provided therefor in the spacer. More specitically the spacer is denoted generally by the numeral 32 and it is preferably of rectangular block-like form and is made from polyethylene or an equivalent moldable colorful and non-corrodible plastic material. More specifically this spacing block has flat lengthwise edge portions 34, a flat bottom side 36 to contact the Wearers wrist and an open-ended passage or bore 38 through and beyond which the strap portion 24 extends as illustrated in FIG. 3. Obviously when the end portions of the strap or band are buckled together and the assemblage is applied to the wearers wrist the portions 24, 26 and23 serve to securely saddle the protector in place against the surface 10. The protector 32 is preferably of an area that corresponds approximately with the area of the surface 10. The material employed is preferably conformably soft and flexible as well as resilient in order to achieve the form-fitting and comfort providing properties desired. When secured in the manner illustrated the protector is not subject to any lateral or longitudinal dispalcement with respect to the watch. Properly positioned the protector will prevent perspiration or moisture from entering the Watch and will lessen the possibility of internal concentration of moisture Within the watch case.

The top side of the block is provided with spaced parallel ribs 40 defining intervening air circulating and ventilating grooves or channels 42.

Measurements governing the manufacture of the protector should be as exact as possible in order to conform with the maximum width and thickness dimensions of onepiece bands. Ordinarily the spacer should have a minimum length of one inch; a width of /8 of an inch and a height of & of an inch. The ridges or ribs should be of an inch in height and are included in the total height measurement of of an inch. The inside measurements of the bore should be /1 of an inch in width and of an inch in height. The protector should have at a least a of an inch on the sides and the upper surface and of an inch on the bottom for thickness.

It is submitted that the invention serves the purposes for which it is intended in a highly satisfactory and acceptable manner. Further it is believed that a careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the figures of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the invention as an attachment and also in combination with the component parts shown and described. A more extended description is regarded as unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a wrist watch embodying a case having a rigid generally planar back and provided at diametrically opposite marginal edge portions with paired outstanding rigid companion lugs, said lugs being oriented and cooperable and provided with watch positioning strap attaching pintles, a watch spacer and protector of an area in plan generally commensurate with the area of the back of the aforementioned watch case and the face of said spacer being proximal to and confronting said back and being provided with air circulation, heat diminishing, ventilating and condensate control means, said spacer constituting a watch cushioning wrist protecting pad and comprising a resilient sleeve, the bore of said sleeve providing an open-ended passage for a onepiece watch mounting and retaining strap.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and, in combination, a onepiece wrist-encircling watch-positioning and retaining strap, a portion of said strap being threaded through the passage in said sleeve, and additional portions of said strap and respective open ends of the sleeves 4 passage being drawn between the aforementioned paired lugs and over said pintles in a manner to connect the spacer to the watch case and the spacer and watch to said strap.

3. In combination, a'substantially rectangular bl0cklike compressibly resilient cushioning sleeve having a generally planar bottom surface for application atop the surface of the users wrist, having a top surface provided with a plurality of spaced parallel upstanding oriented ribs, said ribs being substantially rectangular in cross section, identical in construction, compressibly resilient and commensurate in length with the length of said sleeve and defining open-ended air circulating and ventilating channels between themselves, said top adapted to contact the bottom surface of a cooperating wrist watch, and a onepiece wrist band strap passing through the bore provided therefor in said sleeve and adapted for mounting said sleeve on the end portion of a conventional-type watch case.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 and in combination a conventional type wrist watch embodying a case having a flat bottom resting atop said ribs and bridging said channels and provided at end portions with outstanding lugs, said lugs provided with cross pins and said pins defining openings, and adjacent portions of said strap passing slidingly through the respective openings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,222,391 4/17 Grant 2244 1,295,876 3/ 19 Edmundson 5 8-88 2,184,060 12/39 Singer 224-4 2,328,785 9/43 Cozart 58l05 2,342,804 2/ 44 Hiller 58105 2,546,859 3/51 Innes 58l05 2,647,668 8/53 Nyhagen 2244 2,745,580 5/56 Ward 58-105 3,149,452 9/64 Smith 58105 LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A WRIST WATCH EMBODYING A CASE HAVING A RIGID GENERALLY PLANAR BACK AND PROVIDED AT DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE MARGINAL EDGE PORTIONS WITH PAIRED OUTSTANDING RIGID COMPANION LUGS, SAID LUGS BEING ORIENTED AND COOPERABLE AND PROVIDED WITH WATCH POSITIONING STRAP ATTACHING PINTLES, A WATCH SPACER AND PROTECTOR OF AN AREA IN PLAN GENERALLY COMMENSURATE WITH THE AREA OF THE BACK OF THE AFOREMENTIONED WATCH CASE AND THE FACE OF SAID SPACER BEING PROXIMAL TO AND CONFRONTING SAID BACK AND BEING PROVIDED WITH AIR CIRCULATION, HEAT DIMINISHING, VENTILATING AND CONDENSATE CONTROL MEANS, SAID SPACER CONSISTUTING A WATCH CUSHIONING WRIST PROTECTING PAD AND COMPRISING A RESILIENT SLEEVE, THE BORE OF SAID SLEEVE PROVIDING AN OPEN-ENDED PASSAGE FOR A ONEPIECE WATCH MOUNTING AND RETAINING STRAP. 